Despite the United States sanctions on the Asian country, certain companies have persisted in advancing their technological endeavors. A case in point is the unveiling of an extraordinary supercomputer that has captured significant attention.
Dubbed “Sunway,” this supercomputer boasts an astounding 19.2 million cores. Let’s delve into what else we currently comprehend about this remarkable innovation and gain insights into its intricate architecture.
Sunway, the Chinese super computer
Between 2019 and 2020, the Asian market encountered substantial challenges due to US-imposed restrictions. Notably, companies like Huawei were compelled to halt chip development, thereby rendering the creation of competitive processors an arduous task for both the market and themselves.
In the midst of these hindrances, a unique exception emerged. Jiangnan Computing Lab, a developer of Sunway processors, and the National Supercomputing Center in Wuxi remained steadfast in constructing novel supercomputers. Their unwavering efforts have culminated in the unveiling of an extraordinary technological feat that has taken the world by storm.
This remarkable supercomputer, which boasts an unprecedented 19.2 million cores spread across 49,230 nodes, seems almost fantastical. In contrast, the current world record-holder contains a mere 9,472 nodes and consumes a staggering 21 MW of power—equivalent to an expenditure of about 3,000 euros per hour. The implications of this new machine’s consumption, given its fivefold increase in nodes, are almost beyond comprehension.
This groundbreaking system is believed to be founded upon the renowned 390-core Sunway processor derived from Sunway SW26010 CPUs, which have been in circulation since 2021. Although the new system expanded the processor count, it did not enhance their architectural efficiency. Consequently, it is highly likely that the energy consumption of this system could be colossal, potentially surpassing even initial estimations.
The impetus behind developing this equipment initially lay in addressing the challenge posed by NASA—to resolve compressible currents in turbomachinery through large eddy simulations. Such an endeavor necessitated a level of computational prowess that had yet to be achieved. Despite withholding power and consumption data, the project’s discretion leaves room for speculation that it may have fallen slightly short of its objectives. Regardless, even in this context, the achievement remains undeniably remarkable, with promises of profound future benefits.
These supercomputers never cease to amaze us, particularly when considering the tremendous disparity between their capabilities and those of typical household computers. The magnitude of their power, even while acknowledging their exorbitant energy consumption—approximately 3,000 euros per hour—leaves an indelible impression.